EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: Diamond’s BATMAN ’66 BOOKWORM Bust

PLUS! Behind the scenes with designer Barry Bradfield and sculptor Jean St. Jean!

I’m gonna throw this out there right now: I’ve never been much of a Bookworm fan. I’m not entirely sure why, but there was something about him that just seemed … unthreatening.

Thing is, a lot of people seem to disagree. For example, John S. Drew of the indispensable Batcave Podcast counts Roddy McDowall’s one-time, Season 1 turn as among the best of the TV-only villains.

Either way, any new Batman ’66 merchandise is a reason to do the Batusi, so check out this EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK at Diamond Select’s Bookworm mini-bust, which will be available for pre-order later this month. (Like the other busts, he’ll list at about $60.)

Now, here are Bradfield and St. Jean to take you behind the Bat-curtain, with Bookworm…

Dig the detail in that book…

Dan Greenfield: I always think it’s funny that we’re getting Bookworm merchandise since Roddy McDowall’s estate signed onto the general merch deal. That’s not really a question, I know. But don’t you find it kind of odd?

Barry Bradfield: I think it’s great! I love collecting as many different Batman villains as possible, so to be able to add Bookworm to the collection is wonderful!

Jean: Actually, I was psyched because I forgot he was on the show until I went through a few mags from the ’90s that had pictures of him!

Dan: The hat and glasses do a lot of the work, likenesswise. How do you make sure you still capture McDowall’s face in the design?

Barry: I do think a lot of having it look like the character is in the outfit this time. McDowall’s almost lost behind those glasses and that hat. When drawing the design, I drew McDowall first, then had separate layers for the hat and glasses. I didn’t just want to draw the Bookworm, but specifically Roddy McDowall AS the Bookworm. He doesn’t have a lot of features to capture and immediately identify him by, but his thin lips and chin shape do help.

Dan: Now, where do you stand on Bookworm? I never liked him much, though I know fans who do.

Barry: As I mentioned with King Tut (click here), I never liked any of the villains I didn’t know as a child. Now, I appreciate his episodes a lot more. There’s a certain charm to his outfit that I didn’t notice while younger that helps make him appealing to me now. I mean, the guy wears a leather-bound suit. That’s a special kind of criminal right there, even for Gotham City! I find it odd they didn’t bring him back to bother Batgirl though, given Barbara’s a librarian and all. It would have been a perfect fit!

Jean: Well, not my favorite villain, but I love Roddy McDowall from Planet of the Apes and much later, Fright Night, so it’s great to see him in there as well!

Dan: That said, that’s a pretty cool likeness. Don’t you now want to do a series of Planet of the Apes busts? C’mon, make that happen.

Jean: After Batman ’66, Planet of the Apes is my most important bucket list license! They’ve all been gradually coming under my sway, and I will at some point make my mark on our future ape overlords. Mark my words, citizens!